How to make money while traveling?

How to make money while traveling? 10 best jobs for travel

Think about three reasons why traveling the world is good! Okay, I’ll start! Traveling opens up your mind and helps you discover your true self. It can be very educational, and of course it’s a lot of fun.

Now think about three reasons why it’s bad! Much harder, isn’t it? Well, traveling hides its own risks, as you can’t tell what will happen to you or who you’re going to meet (although this can be true even if you don’t leave your home). It’s also bad for the environment, as it’s not very eco-friendly, but hey, leaving the lights on overnight or using a microwave oven isn’t either.And of course there’s the scariest part: It can be very expensive. You just use up your money without generating any income, and your savings can become a thing of the past within a really short period of time. You can’t work while you travel to make money, while almost even just breathing can cost you a lot in some remote places.

You think so?

You’re wrong! Nowadays it is possible to make money even while you’re traveling. Thanks to the internet, tourism, education and the fact that the world is becoming more and more open minded, there are plenty of jobs to take.Even if you decide to leave your home to start exploring the world. Let’s take a look at 10 of the best jobs for travel!

Bartender, waiter

Bars, nightclubs and restaurants can be found everywhere. Just think about Budapest for example: it became a capital of ruin pubs during the last few years, and thanks to this, young tourists from all over the world are visiting the city constantly for cheap entertainment. Another good example is Paris with its cozy cafes, or any Mediterranean beach location, where you can find a pub on every corner.

These places are constantly recruiting English speaking staff, as most of their income comes from tourism, and they are glad if they can find someone who is able to communicate with the tourists. In most cases short-term employment is also possible, as heavy fluctuation is observable in these kind of jobs in general.

Teach English

Teaching a language can be one of your best options, as you don’t necessarily need any certificates to do it. Of course you will need a diploma to teach in a school, but schools aren’t the only places to teach at. The world is full of people who want to learn from native speakers, and language schools often recruit them as well.

There are plenty of possibilities in this field, and if you already feel comfortable with it, you can even work as a translator. Who knows, maybe you’ll be the one to translate for an American delegation in Brussels.

Teach

Languages are not your only option when it comes to teaching. You can teach any skills which are in demand on the market. And I’m not talking about accounting or bookkeeping, but exciting things, related to traveling:

surfing

skiing

rock climbing

skydiving

fly fishing

scuba diving

kayaking

massage

or you can be a tour guide

Of course it’s nice if you have real experience in these things, but you know the saying: Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.

Au pair

Babysitters living together with a family, looking after their children and helping with the housework if needed are called au pair. It’s a very popular job amongst young people, and lots of families employ foreigners to teach English to their children. They get their wage every week in exchange, and the family also provides a place to live and food to eat. Of course you can also watch over a house or the owner’s pets, although there are less of these kind of jobs. For example house sitting is generally not a long-term job like babysitting.

Working online

The internet provides endless possibilities. Working online is not the only option for making money: you can also sell your work. Ask yourself: What are you good at? You make some pretty jewels, and your friends dig them? Sell them on the internet!

You can make some stunning graphics? Maybe you should find clients who can pay you for working from the other side of the globe. If you’re good at writing, write a travel blog or apply for a job as a copywriter! Give relationship advice or diet tips! It’s all up to you. Learn about online freelance jobs, and get familiar with the portals where you can sell your skills (for example elance.com, odesk.com or fiverr.com). You can do various things (video editing, animating, programming, selling advice, designing, writing, translating), and you don’t need to anchor yourself to a specific place. All you need is a laptop and some creativity.

Taking photos

If you travel to special places, and you like taking photos, why don’t you aim to be a professional, who sells the best of his work? Of course a camera and some determination in itself is not enough: professionals have learned for years, and have a lot of experience, but nobody said that you couldn’t achieve that as well.

You can sell your photos to journalists, upload them to stock photo sites (Dreamstime, Shutterstock), or even create guided photography tours.

Generating income from your photos is possible if they are high quality, and their subject is something that others can make use of.

Work on a cruise ship

… or a yacht. This way you can make money while traveling the seven seas.

Of course this job is no picnic: 12-18 hour shifts are not uncommon on cruise ships, and it’s particularly funny to think about that it could take up to 20-25 minutes to get to your workplace from your room on the ship. Yeah, these ships are huge…

Not only you get a room with these jobs, but also food and insurance, so it’s a great opportunity for those who want to save money and explore the world at the same time. On your days off you can even wander around in the city, but be careful: if you don’t make it back to the ship in time, it won’t wait for you.

Website, app tester

You’re browsing websites all day long and use various applications regularly? Then testing is meant for you, because nowadays companies and developers pay you to browse their websites and use their apps to find and report bugs.

There are also online portals out there where you can browse these jobs, for example Enrollapp.com, TestingTime.com, Userlytics.com or Userfeel.com.

Seasonal jobs for the daring

Because these jobs are physically much more demanding. They are not about chilling in your room while working on a computer, taking some photos when you’re bored, or watching over a house.

Seasonal jobs in general include agricultural activities (like fruit picking), but here are some more, just to name a few:

construction

commercial fishing

festival jobs

ski resort jobs

summer camp jobs

oil rig jobs

In the case of seasonal jobs you need to start searching early, because employers don’t like to wait for too long, and they want their jobs to be filled as soon as possible. You should think ahead and start searching for spring jobs in winter, and for summer jobs in spring.

Day trading

Pro: You only need a laptop with internet access. Con: It’s not that kind of job where you just install a software and you’re done. A vast amount of knowledge and experience is also necessary.

In exchange you can do it from anywhere, no need to be locked up in the corner of your apartment in New York or Los Angeles. You can get out of the rat race for months, it’s possible to trade on the Hong Kong stock market even while chilling on the beach in Sicily.

It takes at least 1, but more like 2-3 years to learn day trading, and you should also count with the initial failures, but if you have already gained some experience, your efforts will pay off. Sitting under a palm tree with a cocktail in your hand, without having to worry about traffic jams can be a really uplifting and priceless feeling.

Disclaimer: playing (online) poker like a real pro is almost the same. It’s not gambling, because learnable skills are needed, and if you become good at it, you can earn some extra cash, or even more.

+1 Book or video about your travels? Why not?

You can also write a book about your travels, not just a blog. Even vlogging and podcasting are worth considering. Look how many globe-trotters document their travels in video logs: Just think about the YouTube channel High On Life, which posts content regularly to inspire its audience, and has achieved pretty nice results until now.

If you thought you can only use up your money by traveling, and this was your main reason not to travel, then we hope we could convince you about the opposite: You can make money while exploring the world, without being confined by the four walls of your room. You shouldn’t be scared about going out and making your dreams come true.